Online Reporter
Theseus Mauruki Shambare-Herald Correspondent
ZIMBABWE is targeting a combined 450 000 tonnes of grain for the Strategic Grain Reserve as Government and stakeholders move to strengthen national food security buffers ahead of anticipated El Niño-induced production shocks.
The reserve will be built through a structured multi-season delivery system anchored on the 2025/26 summer cropping harvest, the current winter wheat season due in October, and subsequent winter wheat production cycles extending into 2027.
In an interview yesterday, Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development Permanent Secretary Prof Obert Jiri said the staggered approach is designed to ensure continuous grain inflows into national reserves even under worst-case production scenarios.
He said the first tranche will come from the ongoing delivery of grain from the 2025/26 summer cropping season, followed by the winter wheat harvest expected in October, and further contributions from the next winter season.
“From the summer season harvest that we are already in, farmers have started delivering, and we expect at least 150 000 tonnes into the SGR. In October, we expect a further 150 000 tonnes from winter wheat, and another 150 000 tonnes from the following cycle,” said Prof Jiri.
He said the strategy would ensure that even in a worst-case scenario where national output falls below one million tonnes due to climate variability, Zimbabwe would still be able to meet vulnerable household requirements through structured reserves and market support systems.
Beyond production planning, Government said it has also mobilised millers to ensure stability in both human consumption and livestock feed supply chains.
The SGR strategy has received strong backing from producer groups, which say expanded local production and predictable market systems are key to strengthening national food security and agricultural resilience.
Chairman of the Strategic Grain Reserve (SGR) 200ha+ Club Zimbabwe, Mr Tichaona Mapfoche, said farmers support the push to scale up domestic grain output as part of a broader food sovereignty agenda.
The association represents more than 500 commercial farmers operating at 200 hectares and above, alongside emerging farmers supported through a structured mentorship model.
Mr Mapfoche said the group is targeting expansion to over 1 000 producers by 2030, with plans to collectively produce 210 000 hectares of maize and sorghum, yielding about 1,1 million tonnes, and 110 000 hectares of wheat producing about 600 000 tonnes annually.
He said strengthening local production capacity is essential for building a resilient grain reserve and reducing reliance on external markets. “Farmers commit capital upfront through land preparation, irrigation development, seed, fertiliser and mechanisation. Predictable demand becomes a key production input in such a system,” he said. Mr Mapfoche said Zimbabwe has the capacity to significantly increase output if supported by stable market systems and consistent investment in production infrastructure.
He said prioritising local grain production strengthens value chains, improves farmer confidence and supports long-term agricultural investment decisions.
The association added that domestic production also enhances rural incomes and supports wider economic activity linked to agriculture.
Mr Mapfoche said the SGR plays a critical stabilisation role, ensuring that production cycles translate into sustained national food availability.
“Farmers plant when they are confident markets exist,” he said.
